NBA’s Most Impactful Summer League Rookies (So Far)

The NBA Summer League has concluded. Most teams have a solid idea of who they drafted in their rookies. Some rookies struggled, while others were able to showcase their talents. I’ll be going over which rookies left the most lasting impact on their team.

The NBA Draft took place on June 26th. This was the first draft to occur over two nights. Analysts touted this draft class as one of the weaker ones in recent years. The rookies still balled out in the summer league and made their names known despite that.

Before I begin, I would like to point out that the summer league isn’t the most accurate indicator of how a rookie will play in the NBA. Notable players such as Steph Curry and Derrick Rose struggled as rookies during the summer league, and they’ve made significant improvements since then.

No matter how good or bad a rookie might play, there’s no way to tell how impactful they’ll be until they play real minutes in the NBA.

However, it’s easy to see what these rookies have already accomplished and project the players they could be for their teams.

Lakers head into a new direction

Following a Conference Finals appearance during the 2022-23 season, the Lakers weren’t able to overcome their demons in Denver for the second straight year. This year, they lost in the first round, and Boston ended up winning the championship, making them the most decorated franchise in NBA history. LA was relegated to second place.

Despite this, some positives emerged from this otherwise disappointing season. The Lakers organization finally decided to fire their head coach, Darvin Ham.

Although, some fans have argued that their next head coach, JJ Redick, isn’t the man for the job either. This hiring feels unprecedented, especially since LBJ and JJ shared a podcast, Mind the Game. The podcast has since been discontinued as Redick focuses on his first tenure as a head coach. However, the Lakers still had questions, and entering the draft, fans wondered what rookies the organization would select under this new regime.

New Rookie Duo arrives in LA

The Lakers only had one pick in the first round, and for a team desperately trying to compete in a conference loaded with talent, it had to be a player they could depend on from the start.

With that pick, the Lakers selected Dalton Knecht from the University of Tennessee 17th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.

From the gate, this was a spectacular selection by the Lakers as they took the best player considering their position. Although he’s a rookie, he’s entering the league at 23 years old and is ready to compete at a high level. During his senior year in college, he averaged 21 points, 4 rebounds, and an assist, all while shooting near 40% from the 3-point line.

Knecht is a rookie who helps the Lakers compete right now. He already provides more value than some players who were on the roster last year. Although he only played in three games for the Lakers in the summer league, he averaged 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Knecht may still be a defensive liability at this point in his young career, but he has shown he is not afraid to shoot the ball, and when shooters surround LeBron, he finds success.

Nepotism Pick?

The Lakers only had one other pick besides their first-round selection. With that pick, the Lakers selected Bronny James from the University of Southern California 55th overall. This officially makes LeBron and Bronny the first father-son duo to play in the NBA at the same time, much less the same team.

There was a bit of controversy surrounding the drafting of James Jr. as many people, myself included, felt as if he wasn’t ready to enter the draft. He had played only one year at USC and was coming off of a serious heart injury months prior. As a Trojan, Bronny only put up 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists. His stats don’t inspire any confidence that he was ready for the NBA, but he entered the combine anyway.

However, some fans felt that this was nepotism on the part of LeBron and the Lakers association. The common consensus surrounding Bronny’s selection in the draft centers around his father, LeBron James, being such a great NBA player that the Lakers felt a need to make their star happy. Any other college basketball player wouldn’t dare to enter the draft with a stat line like Bronny’s because they know they are less likely to be drafted.

Whatever your opinion of Bronny may be, he was drafted and will be a member of the Lakers organization.

A Rocky Start

Bronny played four out of five of the summer league games, and he did not have a very good start. The Lakers started with 2 losses, and in both of them, Bronny scored less than 10 points. The chatter surrounding his selection was in full force, as it looked like he wasn’t ready to play on the big stage. Thankfully, he was able to piece it together, put up better stat lines, and have more of an impact on the basketball floor.

There are still questions regarding Bronny’s offensive ceiling, but one thing he has shown so far is that he hustles on every play and can be a pest on defense. If he can continue to develop as a leader, one day, this Lakers team might be his to lead.

The Lakers set out and drafted two rookies who can help them offensively and defensively while keeping their star players happy.

Only time will be able to tell how these rookies will perform. I, for one, am excited to see their development and how they can improve.

Philly Acquires Internet Sensation

Jared McCain caught many people’s attention with his smooth play style and internet presence. He played at Duke University and was known to take over games. Before the draft, there was a lot of hype surrounding him and how his game could translate from college to the NBA.

The Philadelphia 76ers saw the hype as well and selected McCain with the 16th overall pick in the first round.

I was surprised by Philly’s selection. He enters a team that already has established playmakers. It may be some time before he gets significant NBA minutes. Hopefully, he’ll be able to learn some things coming off the bench.

For a more in-depth analysis of some key off-season moves, click here!